# markdown/heading-increment

> Enforce heading levels increment by one

A heading that jumps from level 1 to level 3 leaves a gap in the outline. Screen readers and generated tables of contents rely on the levels, so a reader can't tell whether a section is missing.

Going back up by any number of levels is fine.

{/* Generated by src/codegen/lint-rule-docs.ts. Do not edit this section. */}

## Configure

Off by default. It needs an ESLint config that says which files are in the language:

{/* skip */}

```js eslint.config.js
import markdown from "@eslint/markdown";

export default [
  {
    files: ["**/*.md"],
    plugins: { markdown },
    language: "markdown/commonmark",
    rules: { "markdown/heading-increment": "error" },
  },
];
```

It also works with `markdown/gfm`.

{/* End of the generated section. */}

## Examples

Reported:

{/* bad */}

```md
# Install

### With Homebrew
```

Not reported:

{/* good */}

```md
# Install

## With Homebrew

### On Apple silicon

# Usage
```

## Options

| Option             | Default                                           | What it does                                                                                                                              |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `frontmatterTitle` | a pattern that matches `title:`, `title =`, `"title":` | A regular expression. If a line of the front matter matches it, the front matter counts as the level 1 heading. `""` turns that off. |

Front matter is only parsed if `languageOptions.frontmatter` is set to the format that the files use.

{/* bad {"languageOptions": { "frontmatter": "yaml" }} */}

```md
---
title: Install
---

### With Homebrew
```

{/* good {"languageOptions": { "frontmatter": "yaml" }, "options": [{ "frontmatterTitle": "" }]} */}

```md
---
title: Install
---

### With Homebrew
```